Just where did that wood come from, anyway?

[Bruceyp]

I have been turning for about ten years, and find or am given 95% of the wood that use. But i occasionally buy a piece now and then to accent my work. My question will "out me" as a tree hugging liberal, but is there a way to tell if that bought piece is from the rainforrests of Central America? I really don't want to support that industry.
My second question is a bit more controversal. Does the AAW have a stand on this issue?

 

[DSKIPPER]

a sore topic indeed

I've been in exotic wood sales for several years, but I am very concerned about the deforesting all around the world. The info I found was that though many of our fine woods come from the same areas, it is not the people that sell lumber that cause the problems. Many of them are more concerned the you or I and make it a point to replant trees when removed, if they didn't they would soon be out of jobs. lots of trees are "new growth" which are raised on farms. The big problem is farmers and developers which irresponsiblely use slash and burn methods so as to open large areas quickly, then after a few years (some crops kill the land in as little as 2 years) when the land dies move on to a new area. They never even sell the wood they rape from the land. If you are concerned about the forest I would recomend looking in to see if the cotten in your clothes the beans you eat or the tobaco that you might use is from one such farm. :mad: :mad:

 

[Joe Herrmann]

Woodworkers use such a small percentage of the lumber taken from these areas that it shouldn't even be an issue. Like DSKIPPER said, most of it is just lost due to slash and burn farming and other activities that just rape the land, and there's the real problem, not woodworking. Unfortunately, the spectacular woods used to make spectacular turnings and other wood "art", be it furniture or whatever, focuses the public's eye on us instead of the real problem. A beautiful bowl made from something like "tulipwood" is tangible; subsistence farming really isn't.

Joe

 

[Duane]

Slash and burn

It is easy for us to set here in our nice homes in the heart land of America with our bellies full and look down on the practices of another people. Maybe they would rather slash and burn all thoese beautiful trees so they could plant something to eat just to stay alive. Maybe they don't know that you would like to buy that beautiful wood they are burning. Oh! I for got. You don't buy imported wood. You use found wood. Using found wood is good. It beats putting it in our landfills. I wonder how many other peoples from other countreis look down on us for cutting down trees and halling them a lind fill just to put in a new shopping mall or pave over farm ground. I wonder if slash and burn is as bad as nuclear wast. Maybe subsistence farming isn't tangible but it keeps them alive. I wonder how we would subsist if we didn't have a walmart super store just around the cornner or even a paycheck just to buy food with.
Isn't it amazing how some peoples look down on other peoples just because they don't understand their culture.
Maybe we should walk for awhile in their shoes, that is if they wear shoes. Then meybe we could understand why they do what they do.
Any way just my thoughts about slash and burn.
Duane

 

[quartlow]

snip A beautiful bowl made from something like "tulipwood" is tangible; subsistence farming really isn't.

Joe

I wonder how tangible farming would be to you when theres no food on your table.

 

[BobHash]

There must be a forum some place to vent over this. I don't think this is the place for some of these inputs.
I read this forum to gain knowledge, not to read flaming comments.
Just one mans opinion.
Bob Hash
Prescott AZ

 

[Steve Worcester]

I would probably guess that less is going to slash and burn so the land can be used for farming that you think. I would venture to say that a better portion is going to lumber for asian countries.

 

[DSKIPPER]

To clarify something, in most cases it is not the small farmer that uses slash and burn, and those are defenatly not the ones I was refering to. The problem isnt the rainforrest dwellers, it is us, we are the ones that support the big corporates that find that even though the land is not suited for long term farming, it is easier and cheaper to buy land in the rainforest and burn it down "buy out" that little farmer and keep them poor because they dont want to pay the price for good land. Then they have the nerve to say:"We brought jobs to those poor people, and they are better off with their forrest gone." I have spent time in third world countries and have seen with MY OWN EYES what is going on and how the locals feel about it, (they know that they get paid $0.20 ph to do the same thing we get paid $7.00 ph to do) they just dont see a way out. It is up to us to research were the products we buy come from and be willing to PAY MORE, yes MORE, to get products that are grown with the enviroment, and the locals in mind.
This forum asked about how does wood come in to play and the answer is IT DOESN'T FOR THE MOST PART.

 

[Joe Herrmann]

Gee, I really didn't think I was looking down at anyone or trying to trivialize a real problem in the third world. I was merely trying to make the point that the bowl is something we can see and point a finger at while the bigger, real problem goes unrecognized. Maybe this is a subject that we can't dicuss on this forum...

Joe

 

[hockenbery]

a very complex issue

Not all logging is equivalent to deforestation. However this is very complex issue.

I’ve been fortunate to visit about a dozen rainforests in the Amazon basin, southern Brazil, Belize and Costa Rica.

Rain forests on every continent including those of the Pacific Northwest are decreasing rapidly. Lumber is only one reason. Firewood havesting, charcoal production, burning/clearing for pasture, banana plantations, or monoculture timber plantings all destroys the forest.

Plantation grown wood means a forest was destroyed. Does it mean that additional forests are not being destroyed for new plantations?

I once walked through a 100 foot wide swath of clear-cut about a half mile long from a river that was the result of “selective logging†of 6 mahogany trees by poachers in a Peruvian National forest. While it was a massive scar it was probably a sustainable harvest provided the rustlers didn’t come back to the same area for 30 years.

Happy Turning
Al

 

[Glenn]

I was at West Penn Hardwoods a few weeks ago and spoke with the owner. He has a working relationship with a guy from Wisconsin that relocated to Peru. The guy in Peru scavenges lumber from the rainforest that has fallen naturally. He does not cut anything that is not laying on the ground. He cuts the wood up and sends it back West Penn a container at a time. A portion of the profits go to protect the rainforest. Visit www.westpennhardwoods.com and click on the Amazon link on the right.
Disclaimer: satisfied customer only. I have no financial stake in this enterprise. Yada, Yada....

Hope this helps (sorry to deviate from the slash/burn enviro-debate...)